Packaging materials such as cartons come in countless shapes, sizes, and materials. Cardboard cartons, in particular, are in widespread use for containing everything from raw materials to finished goods, such as diapers, foodstuffs, books, or appliances, and various things in between.
Many cartons contain some sort of printed graphic or text to indicate source or origin, or to identify carton contents. In some scenarios, pre-printed cartons can arrive at a manufacturer's point of production. The manufacturer can fill the pre-printed cartons, and ship the filled cartons to customers. In other scenarios, substantially blank cartons can arrive at the manufacturer's point of production. The manufacturer can fill the substantially blank cartons, label the cartons, and ship the filled and labeled cartons to customers.
Carton information can be applied to a carton as a step in a manufacturing production line. For example, an operator can apply a stamp or place an adhesive-backed label to a cardboard carton, such as to indicate carton weight or contents. In an automated production line scenario, a filled carton can pass an automatic labeling device, such as a printer, to have carton information applied to the carton.
Several methods and apparatus have been developed seeking to optimize the application of carton information to cartons in an automated packaging environment, but such methods and apparatus have fallen short. For example, Bowman et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 6,164,040, entitled “CARTONER WITH INK JET CODER,” refers to dispensing cartons along a single plane pathway past multiple ink jet print heads to apply carton information. As another example, Sugahara, in U.S. Patent Application No. 2010/0060693, entitled “PRINTER,” refers to a printing apparatus that can print on a first surface of a printing medium, turn the medium upside down, and print on a rear surface.